1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to conveying and more specifically to conveying using a flexible carrier having apertures transversely therethrough and openable along one surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of roll capacitors, the ends of the roll capacitor are covered with solder. In the end-soldering operation, as practiced in the prior art, the capacitor blanks are mounted in a multiple-capacitor nesting plate which is then masked to prevent solder from bridging from end-to-end of the capacitors. Molten solder is then sprayed in a raster-like, two-dimensional pattern across each mask so as to coat both ends of the roll capacitor blanks with solder to comprise the terminals thereof. This fixture is loaded manually, and surplus solder must be manually cleaned from the masks.
Flexible conveyor or carrier belts are known (U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,199, Pinkham issued June 13, 1961; British Pat. No. 753,518, Phillips issued July 25, 1956; and French Pat. No. 1,094,914, Philips issued May 25, 1955), in which a flexible belt is provided with transverse apertures and substantial openings extending from each aperture to one surface of the belt. These belts are used for gripping items as diverse as cigarettes and machine workpieces. However, these belts are no more than conveying clamps for holding the workpieces along arcuate surfaces and carrying them along, with no thought being given to surrounding or masking a workpiece for possible spray soldering.